The present invention relates generally flexible protective mats designed for use on floors, and more specifically to such mats used in motor vehicles for protecting carpeting.
Conventional automotive floor mats are commonly used for protecting carpeting from becoming soiled from dirt, road salt, water and the like. n addition, conventional automotive mats specially configured for use on the driver's side of the vehicle, include heel pads designed to support the driver's foot used for operating the accelerator pedal. Such heel pads include a wear-resistant upper surface, and a supporting grid beneath the upper surface. It is common in such mats that the upper surface is made of thicker material and is maintained slightly above the surrounding upper surface of the mat, even while accommodating the weight of the driver's foot. The same holds true whether or not the surrounding mat is carpeted. In creating the heel pad, the mat is formed with a cavity beneath the pad, which is usually occupied by the conventional supporting grid. The supporting grid is constructed and arranged for bearing the weight of the user's foot while driving, and as such is typically made of interlocking ribs of plastic forming a checkerboard pattern. Since conventional automotive floor mats are made by injection molding, the heel pad and the supporting grid are integrally formed with the mat during this process. As such, the supporting grid is constructed and arranged for being easily created by flowing molten plastic injected under pressure.
Also, since the foot is typically inclined while operating the accelerator pedal, the weight of the driver's foot is often applied to the heel pad in a concentrated zone close to and including the driver's heel. As such, the supporting grid is designed for accommodating this concentrated application of force, including that applied when the driver's are relatively heavy, and/or when wearing pointed-heeled shoes.
One drawback of conventional mats is that the heel pads, designed for addressing the range of forces described above, are relatively rigid or inflexible compared to the surrounding mat material. There is a desire within the industry for floor mats having increased flexibility across the full surface of the mat.